Problems
In view of agricultural production and employment opportunities, the project area is characterized, particularly by the following problems.
Agriculture & Income
The project area in which presently about 14,000 people are living is semi-arid and receives approximately 450 mm of rainfall per annum resulting in frequent occurring droughts. This is hardly enough to sustain dryland
farming except for the more drought tolerant crops such as cotton and some minor grain legumes such as cowpeas. Hence, agriculture is characterized by a low productivity in the project area. Evidence from a recent conducted survey
suggests that communities in the project area are very poor (Euro 574 per capita income) compared to other rural areas of Swaziland (average per capita income of Swaziland Euro 1,400). Government extension support to the region is minimal,
while business skills are rudimentary and the degree to which credit reaches smallholder is very low. Another problem for many people in the project area, especially women and youth, is that they have no access to land
at present.
Unemployment
While the project area is characterised by a large unemployment, particularly among the youth, a considerable number of households is dependent on non-farm remittance income earned in South Africa as migrant labour. As
unemployment in South Africa rises, migrant workers from Swaziland face large difficulties to find employment and are returning to their home aggravating the unemployment situation -and hence the rise of poverty.
There are no obvious resources within the area other than agricultural land, and the key to improving incomes has to be to increase the productivity of this land.
Environment
A major constraint to raise agricultural productivity and to raise investment on SNL is the comparatively large number of livestock the households have. Under an open-access grazing system, cattle are allowed to graze in
excess on SNL common pasture at no direct cost to the cattle-owning household, while Government dipping services and most other veterinary services are provided free. It is evident that these grazing systems have led to levels of soil erosion and
land degradation that undermine the sustainability of farming systems.
Usuthu River
A major constraint to increase the agricultural productivity on SNL through irrigation in the project area is the fact that all water rights of the Usuthu River have been already fully allocated. Hence, it is not possible
for any farmer or farmer group to use Usuthu base flow water during the dry season to irrigate their land. Simultaneously, many farmers have organized themselves in associations and co-operatives who are ready to expand their agricultural
investments if for instance, Usuthu surplus water in the wet season could be made available for them.
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